Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Zhang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Amy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

The most unexpected problem I faced in my professional career was being fired simply for putting my health first at my last job. After discussing with my manager at the time that I have dietary and supplement needs that are important for my healing, I trusted that he would have my back when authorities questioned why I brought my lunchbox with me out onto the warehouse floor. An investigation was initiated and a few days later, I found out that he did not have my back and I was fired for “breaching security,” even though the reason was completely false. It seemed like a set-up to get me fired and not fair. It was completely unexpected, and part of me wishes I would have caught on to what was going on so I could have recorded it all and sought legal action. I was heartbroken – I didn’t think I did anything wrong, I was just putting my health first and doing what was best for my body at the time. Healing chronic illness is a process and I was doing what I could to make it work while working a full time job. I was angry, upset, frustrated, defeated, and felt taken advantage of. I felt like the state of my health was used against me.

This was another part of healing that I had to go through. Healing from a toxic work environment who clearly did something illegal. I felt powerless because there was nothing I could do. I didn’t have the money for a good lawyer. Resolving this meant truly fending for myself. I started to realize that job was taking more from me than giving me. I was settling for less than mediocre when I knew I deserved more. For 6 months unemployed, I rested, started a podcast on health and wellness, and did my best to make things work financially. I began to be more in tune with myself and the universe. After many heartbreaking interviews that were a “no,” I finally got a yes.

Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in Houston, Texas. My parents are both immigrants from China and had me a few years after coming to the United States. I graduated from Penn State University in 2018 and started working in data analytics right out of college. 2020 was a hard year for everyone. It was the year that I had a near-death ER visit from an awful reaction to an antidepressant. This was when I realized that our health revolves around every part of our lives, and I was treating my body like I had a spare one in the closet. After 2 years of searching for answers and going from doctor to doctor with no real answers to any of the chronic health issues I was dealing with, I decided enough was enough. In June 2022, I decided to take my health in my own hands and heal holistically. Healing hasn’t been easy – in fact, it’s been really, really hard. I’ve learned more about myself and my body than I ever thought was possible. There have been lots of frustrations and setbacks, and I’ve been truly humbled in the healing process. Healing is not a linear journey, and requires lots of patience. Changing my diet and lifestyle was not an overnight process, and neither was healing my nervous system. There’s so much that I had to surrender to in order to keep the needle moving.

Healing chronic health issues while continuing to do a good job at your full-time job is not easy. Finding the balance between what to tell your boss and what to keep to yourself has always been a struggle. This is why it was so important for me to find a job that was flexible and a company who actually cares about their employees’ well-being. After being fired because of having chronic health issues, I knew I deserved better. During unemployment, I decided to start a podcast on health and wellness and how I have healed most of my chronic health symptoms, and how I keep going. This podcast was something for me to do while being unemployed, and I had always loved talking about health and wellness, especially with struggling with chronic symptoms for over 20 years of my life. Recording episodes was so much fun and I just loved talking about the health and wellness space and connecting with others who have similar stories.

While I now have a new job in financial services, the podcast has not left my mind. I took some time to allow myself to get used to a new routine with a new job, so the podcast has been on hold for a bit. The Healing Waves Podcast is something that I am so proud of, and it’s a project where I felt like I was allowed to be creative.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Finding out I had multiple chronic health issues was one of the most heartbreaking experiences. If you’ve ever been chronically ill, you know how hard it is. It not only affects your state of health, but it affects your work, how you think, your relationships, and just your overall feelings. Choosing to heal holistically instead of taking medication as a bandaid fix is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s been hard, but nothing has truly got me to know myself more than holistic health. Bouncing back from being so ill to where I couldn’t get out of bed most days to now being on a path to vibrant health is something that I will never take for granted.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that the ego is not always right. I grew up with a narcissistic father who thought he was always right and needed to control everything and everyone. As I grew older, I subconsciously took on some of his egotistical ways. It’s caused me to lose friendships and I never knew why until chronic illness hit. Through healing, I’ve learned that the ego is very loud, and the soul is quiet. The ego is loud because of its insecurity. The soul is quiet because of its confidence. I’ve slowly learned to let go of control, worry, stress, anxiety, and everything in between, because those things will age you quicker than time ever will. Feeling like you need to control everything is a quick way to burnout.